Improvement in railroad-frogs



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GIBBoNs G. HIOKMANOE DowNINGToyvN, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-moes'.

lSpecilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,400, dated June 27,1865.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, GIBBoNs G. HIGKMAN, ot' Downingtown, in the county ofChester and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railroad-Frogs; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a i'ull and exact description of the same, reference being hadto theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a. plan. section in line w m.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twofigures.

This invention consistsiu so constructing and applying the movable partof a railroad-frog that it is made capable oi' returning to its normalposition by the force ot' gravitation after Fig. 2 is a transverse ,ithas been moved by the carwheels, and locked or retained in its closed ornormal position by the weight of the wheels when the latter are runningthereon.

The following description will enable others skilled in the art towhichn'ny invention appertains to fully understand and use the same.

` In the accompanying drawings, Arepresents the timber or sub-support towhich the various parts of the frog are attached.

B represents the movable rail or piece, which is turned out laterally bythe iianges ofthe wheels, which are transferred from the rail C to theruil D, the end of the movable rail B be. ing liared outward to nllowthe flanges to readily pass between it and the stationary rail G.

"The anges ot' the wheels, which run upon the railsB and C, are on theinside of the latter, so that no lateral movement of the rail or turngout B will be produced by such wheels.

To admit of the movement which it is required to undergo, the rail B ispivoted at one end, as represented at b, and for the purpose of givingthe requisite support to the rail when it is moved outward, and at thesame time to effect a vertical as well as a lateral movement thereof, Iemploy hinges E E. These hinges are jointed at their lower ends to fixedpoints e e, and to their upper ends to lugs on the turnout'or rail B. Itwill be seen that the links E E cause the rail B to rise or move upwardas well as outward when acted upon by the flanges ot' the wheels, whichrun from rail C to rail D. Checks F F limit the lateral movement of therail B, so that when it has been moved outward to its greatest extremitythe hinges or supports E E are inclined inward slightly. Hence when theear-wheels have passed the rail B the latter resumes its normal.position (which is against rail G) by its natural tendencyf-thut is tosay, by the influence of gravity. The Wheels which run on the rail orturnout B holds the same tirmly in itsproper position-that is to say,close up to therail C-Y-its tendency beingincreased in that directionunder the imposed weight of the train.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-eis- The ruil B, applied and secured in suchmanner as to be caused to assume itsy normal position by the influenceof gravity after it has been moved by the wheels of a passing train, andalso adapted to be retained in position by the pressure of the wheelswhen the latter are runnin'g upon it, substantially as herein de-'scribed and represented eIEBoNs e. HICKMAN.

Witnesses:

ALEXR. A. G. KLAUGKE, CHARLES D. SMITH.

